Paul Sibisi

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I was born on the 4th of June 1970, with a family consisting of three brothers and a sister and with only my mother working single-handedly in supporting and educating us. My father deserted us while I was doing standard three.

The brief background sums up the situation at home, but there is more to it than this. I completed my matric in 1988 and was determined to further my studies to be able to help my family but unfortunately my mother could not afford the university costs.

In all my years at school I have been developing an attitude towards the state of affairs in this country, always trying to find an answer to the iniquities existing especially in South Africa. Our government has been doing practically nothing to help the poor to be able to have a career and a better life in this world that is proving to be only for those who can manage financially.

My family has been among those people who have been victims of the imbalances existing in our society and the question that always comes to mind is that how long will people suffer not because they do not have the mental capacity to make it academically but because of the way our country’s economic resources are circulating and the way the government treats the citizens of this country on the basis of their racial group, which is something beyond their control.

The whole of 1989 was like a wasted year with bursary institutions unable to help for one reason or another. Early in 1990 I went to Standard bank for a loan but again I did not succeed not because of my matric results, which I manage to obtain an aggregate D, but because my mother could not qualify to stand as my surety. I was frustrated and my future looked bleak.

Fortunately for me my matric teacher decided, after learning about the situation, to stand as surety for me to be able to register at this institution. Further on she went to the Soweto Town Council to see if they won’t help. I thought luck was on my side when I was granted a bursary by the Town Council to see if they won’t help. I thought luck was on my side when I was granted a bursary by the Town Council but unbeknownst to me I was going to have problems of accommodation. I stayed with a friend for the whole of 1990 and I am pleased to say that I have had a chance in doing Philosophy to know of some of the theories propounded by writers such as Karl Marx, Engels etc concerning the state of affairs in this world.

It is my belief that our country needs a “practical” theory that will help us to have a better nation devoid of racial hatred and the iniquities that have left many young people who were willing to continue with their studies and contributing in the development of our unemployed, frustrated demoralized and bitter. The theory that I thought was going to work for our country was the theory of Karl Marx and Engels but seeing that this theory seems impractical if applied only to one country while other countries are capitalist much efforts needs to be while other countries are capitalist much efforts needs to be exerted by both philosophers and sociologists in modifying the theories we have. But again the problem is philosophers can only come up with a theory, it is for the politicians to either can the theory or reject it.

Philosophy does not only involve the study about theories propounded by other philosophers and arguing about the validity and truth of the natural sciences or sciences in general but also the study of reasoning, that is logic. This part of philosophy I believe, should be a pre-requisite for law students because as lawyers they will be arguing their cases in defense of their clients and some of the argument that they think are ‘logical’ arguments will prove to be fallacious arguments.

I strongly feel that our country will be able, in the near future, to address the problems that not only I have experienced but many more who have been denied a chance to further their studies and to rid country itself of making education a privilege of only the fortunate few. As a law student and a Philosophy student I hope that I will contribute much in addressing the problems of this country.

This is my second year majoring in philosophy and private law and I have other subsidiary courses such as constitutional law, Administrative law, Roman law and Interpretation of statutes. With all these courses one has to work several times harder than a person without financial problems since these financial problems seems to be yet another thing that has kept me in a situation of uncertainty, stress and basically I have been working against odds, but one thing is certain in my mind that is education is a necessity and I need help financially to be able to further my studies and to be able to contribute in my society.

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